Hotel Chocolat recently launched their Christmas range, and we were invited along to their Roast + Conch café and shop in Covent Garden to take a look at it, and see what else is new in the world of Hotel Chocolat.

While many of the core products are similar to previous years, one thing that has changed is the packaging. Colours have been toned right down, with predominantly white packaging, and lots of subtle, pale blue. There’s no garish reds, greens or golds in this range.

The range is huge, with everything from small Christmas decorations to giant centrepieces that rotate like a lazy Susan. It’s all very clever.

Also launching was the Halloween range, which again is similar to previous years. We thought these ‘Tiddly Vampires’ were particularly cute.

Perhaps the biggest surprise was to find that Hotel Chocolat have launched their own line of beauty products. Made with cocoa butter, and in some cases exfoliating cocoa shells and fresh cacao pulp, the Cocoa Juvinate range is simple, emphasising purity and the revitalising nature of cocoa.

While I’ve seen a lot of the novelty Christmas & Halloween items before, I’m always impressed by Hotel Chocolat’s ability to go off at complete tangents, while remaining true to their vision and ethics. With a cocoa estate, a hotel, cafés, restaurants and now a beauty range, you have to wonder where they will go next!